What are the responsibilities and job description for the Post-Doctoral Associate - Jackson Lab position at UGA Savannah River Ecology Laboratory?
Posting Details
Position Details
Posting Number G/R27639P Working Title Post-Doctoral Associate - Jackson Lab Department CAES-Crop & Soil Sciences About the University of Georgia
Since our founding in 1785, the University of Georgia has operated as Georgia’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 235 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly formed School of Medicine.
About the College/Unit/Department College/Unit/Department website Employment Type Employee Additional Schedule Information
M-F 8AM-5PM, hours may vary.
Advertised Salary Commensurate with Experience Anticipated Start Date 12/01/2024 Posting Date 10/30/2024 Closing Date Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicants Location of Vacancy Athens Area EOO Statement
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).
USG Core Values Statement
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.
Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.
Duties/Responsibilities
Duties/Responsibilities
Develop biologically-consistent machine learning algorithms/solutions for plant/animal genomics (e.g. sequence level Large Language Models (LLMs) to omic level interactions with graph neural networks (GNNs) )
Percentage of time 30 Duties/Responsibilities
Leverage models to generate testable hypotheses on gene regulation’s role in improving known or developing novel plant traits. Doing so in zero-shot, one-shot, and multi-shot experimental campaigns.
Percentage of time 30 Duties/Responsibilities
Explore the use of Scientific AI Agents for exploring and optimizing plant traits through the compiling of out-of-domain open-source data, in-domain high-fidelity data, and access to query, and iterate over, new experiments.
Percentage of time 30 Duties/Responsibilities
Career development in a highly interactive and interdisciplinary environment
Percentage of time 10
Position Details
Position Information
Classification Title Post-Doctoral Associate AD FLSA Exempt UGA Job Code FTE 1.00 Minimum Qualifications Position Summary
Does solving challenging biological and computational questions with novel algorithms and genomic data that can transform agriculture excite you? Does working at the intersection of applied mathematics/engineering, genomics/epigenomics and plant biology interest you?
Join a team of researchers at the University of Georgia working to unravel how genomic sequences and epigenetic data affect gene regulation and plant development and build the next generation of “biologically-consistent” AI models that will reimagine the potential of plant systems. We are exploring new algorithmic approaches, including biologically-informed Machine Learning/AI (e.g. Large Language Models, Graph Neural Networks) and active learning, to derive biological insights into genome organization, structure and function as it relates to how genes are regulated, interact, and, ultimately, lead to new phenotypes.
As a Postdoctoral Associate, the primary foci will be to work with large genomic and phenotypic data sets to integrate across biological scales and derive new hypotheses about gene function that can be tested. You will work in close collaboration with Scott Jackson (UGA-Crop and Soils Sciences), Bob Schmitz (UGA-Genetics) and Ethan Pickering (UGA and Bayer Crop Science).
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification In Position
Ph.D. in engineering, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, statistics, or a related discipline, or Biology-related discipline with relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities And/or Competencies
Lifting 25 lbs, prolonged sitting at office desk.
Is this a Position of Trust? Yes Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Is driving a requirement of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.
Contact Information
Recruitment Contact
Contact Details
For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.
Recruitment Contact Name Scott Jackson Recruitment Contact Email sjackson@uga.edu Recruitment Contact Phone
Posting Specific Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
Position Details
Posting Number G/R27639P Working Title Post-Doctoral Associate - Jackson Lab Department CAES-Crop & Soil Sciences About the University of Georgia
Since our founding in 1785, the University of Georgia has operated as Georgia’s oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education (https://www.uga.edu/). The proof is in our more than 235 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University’s main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,100 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University’s enrollment exceeds 41,000 students including over 31,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 19 schools and colleges, including our newly formed School of Medicine.
About the College/Unit/Department College/Unit/Department website Employment Type Employee Additional Schedule Information
M-F 8AM-5PM, hours may vary.
Advertised Salary Commensurate with Experience Anticipated Start Date 12/01/2024 Posting Date 10/30/2024 Closing Date Open Until Filled Yes Special Instructions to Applicants Location of Vacancy Athens Area EOO Statement
The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or veteran status or other protected status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).
USG Core Values Statement
The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning, as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section8/C224/#p8.2.18_personnel_conduct.
Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at https://www.usg.edu/policymanual/section6/C2653.
Duties/Responsibilities
Duties/Responsibilities
Develop biologically-consistent machine learning algorithms/solutions for plant/animal genomics (e.g. sequence level Large Language Models (LLMs) to omic level interactions with graph neural networks (GNNs) )
Percentage of time 30 Duties/Responsibilities
Leverage models to generate testable hypotheses on gene regulation’s role in improving known or developing novel plant traits. Doing so in zero-shot, one-shot, and multi-shot experimental campaigns.
Percentage of time 30 Duties/Responsibilities
Explore the use of Scientific AI Agents for exploring and optimizing plant traits through the compiling of out-of-domain open-source data, in-domain high-fidelity data, and access to query, and iterate over, new experiments.
Percentage of time 30 Duties/Responsibilities
Career development in a highly interactive and interdisciplinary environment
Percentage of time 10
Position Details
Position Information
Classification Title Post-Doctoral Associate AD FLSA Exempt UGA Job Code FTE 1.00 Minimum Qualifications Position Summary
Does solving challenging biological and computational questions with novel algorithms and genomic data that can transform agriculture excite you? Does working at the intersection of applied mathematics/engineering, genomics/epigenomics and plant biology interest you?
Join a team of researchers at the University of Georgia working to unravel how genomic sequences and epigenetic data affect gene regulation and plant development and build the next generation of “biologically-consistent” AI models that will reimagine the potential of plant systems. We are exploring new algorithmic approaches, including biologically-informed Machine Learning/AI (e.g. Large Language Models, Graph Neural Networks) and active learning, to derive biological insights into genome organization, structure and function as it relates to how genes are regulated, interact, and, ultimately, lead to new phenotypes.
As a Postdoctoral Associate, the primary foci will be to work with large genomic and phenotypic data sets to integrate across biological scales and derive new hypotheses about gene function that can be tested. You will work in close collaboration with Scott Jackson (UGA-Crop and Soils Sciences), Bob Schmitz (UGA-Genetics) and Ethan Pickering (UGA and Bayer Crop Science).
Relevant/Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification In Position
Ph.D. in engineering, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, statistics, or a related discipline, or Biology-related discipline with relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities And/or Competencies
- Knowledge of any of the following: data-driven model development, machine learning, deep learning, linear algebra, optimization, neural networks (LLMs, GNNs, etc.) or gaussian process regression, active learning, Bayesian experimental design, Bayesian optimization
- Knowledge in coding, e.g. Python, Matlab, and building open-sourced packages.
- A strong track record of research publications
Lifting 25 lbs, prolonged sitting at office desk.
Is this a Position of Trust? Yes Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No Does this position require a P-Card? No Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No Is driving a requirement of this position? No Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes Background Investigation Policy
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website.
Contact Information
Recruitment Contact
Contact Details
For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.
Recruitment Contact Name Scott Jackson Recruitment Contact Email sjackson@uga.edu Recruitment Contact Phone
Posting Specific Questions
Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).
Applicant Documents
Required Documents
- Resume/CV
- Cover Letter
- List of References with Contact Information
- Writing Sample
- Other Documents #1
